of a country to lie in the godliness of its population, not in their mental development any more than in their hoarded wealth. Hence they can expect no good from a process of instruction which would expand the intellect, and let alone the heart. Nay, they fear the merely intellectual education: it will but strengthen the armour, without changing the wearer. For unsanctified knowledge is still the fatal thing which it was to our first parents in Paradise: in gathering it, men gather death; and the fairness to the eye, and the sweetness to the taste, but allure the unwary, who think themselves about to "be as gods," through that which shall prove a poison in their veins.

The cause of scriptural education now appeals to this great and enlightened body for support. It cannot appeal in vain. Shall it not receive more than usual assistance, in evidence of a determination on the part of the Church to countenance no system of general instruction which does not take as its main end the saving of the soul? The Church may be libelled. The Church may be represented as desiring to narrow education, or withhold general information from the poor. But the Church is quite willing, nay, quite desirous, to make science in its several departments accessible to all: but she will never consent that the preparing the poor for a life beyond the grave, should be made secondary to the furnishing them with secular knowledge.

If such be your sentiments, the national schools of

this town will find a liberal response to their annual appeal. And where should the cause of scriptural education meet with warmer support? As an university, it is our glory and our defence that our whole system is tempered and impregnated with Christianity. We give no place here to a spurious philosophy which would be ashamed of the cross. We burn no incense here to reason as a rival of revelation. Ours is not the science "falsely so called" which would worship its own light; but rather that which, attributing its brilliance to "the Sun of righteousness," rejoices, as a satellite, to wait upon his march. We bow before the stronger than the strong, and go forth under his banner to map the heavens, and fathom the depths.

And the principle which may be said to pervade our academic constitution, to be inscribed in our statutes and sculptured on our walls—the principle of fealty to Christ-we should long to see recognized and maintained in all the institutions of the state. But nowhere more than in the system of national education. If we be but observant of "the signs of the times," we must deepen daily in the conviction, that in the religious education of the people lies, under God, the hope of this country. There may be empirical remedies for growing disorders; but this is what the Almighty hath provided, and it is at our peril if we set it aside. I may have little confidence in politicians, and still less in the schemes of philosophical boards; but the school where the textbook is the Bible, and the Church where the Gospel

is the sermon, cover the land with these, and there will be no fears for the national prosperity, because none for the national piety. The stronger than the strong will go forward, " conquering and to conquer;" the palace shall be everywhere rebuilt; and the Lord God Almighty shall be "a wall of fire" on the right hand and on the left.

SERMON IV.

THE POWER OF ASSOCIATION.

PROVERBS xiii. 20.

"He that walketh with wise men shall be wise; but a companion of fools shall be destroyed."

WE are so constituted and circumstanced, as members of the human family, that "none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself." Each necessarily exerts a great influence on many others, and is acted on in return by those with whom he is associated. It is vain to endeavour to escape, or destroy, this mutual influence. All that can be done, knowing its existence and activity, is to labour at converting it into an instrument of good, or, at the least, at preventing it from causing us injury. To this end, it is very important that we be thoroughly certified as to the facility with which we are influenced by others, and with which others also may be influenced by us. So long as we are in any measure ignorant of the amazing power of association,

we shall reckon it indifferent whom we select as associates, and thus equally expose ourselves to evil, and throw away opportunities of doing good. But the moment we are possessed of the great principle, that there is a strong tendency in human character to the assimilating itself to that of those with whom it is in contact, we must perceive, that, from motives both of self-interest and philanthropy, we are bound to be careful in the choice of companions.

The words of our text contain a very strong declaration as to as to the effects of companionship. They represent the acquisition of wisdom as a direct consequence on the associating or walking with the wise, and destruction as following necessarily on intimacy with fools. You must be aware, that, in the language of the Book of Proverbs, the term wisdom is commonly used as of the same import with piety, and folly with wickedness. The wise, according to Solomon's definition, are those who fear and serve God; whilst the foolish are those who deny him, and set at nought his laws. So that, when it is said, that "he that walketh with wise men shall be wise," we are to consider it affirmed that those who associate with religious and God-fearing individuals may themselves be expected to become religious and God-fearing. On the other hand, when it is said that “a companion of fools shall be destroyed," the meaning seems to be, that he who makes friendship with the unrighteous will acquire their character, and shall share their doom.